Red Sox / Yankee player quiz, Asian red-face gene and alcohol, the Sudan and Darfur atrocities
This is an interesting link. I think I may be a Friend Elitist, somewhat of a Bitcher, a smidgen of a Copycat, very definitely a Comment Whore, somewhat a Cross-Poster, a bit of an OCP, and a Test Junkie for sure.
Have caught up on all blogs now... thank goodness my brother and sister took a holiday break from blogging. (my sister's blog is about the really personal faith stuff, let's just say)
This information is stolen from Dave's blog:
This is why I don't drink: I lack some sort of dehydrogenase protein and drinking even small amounts of alcohol causes my face to flush red and my head to feel like it's going to explode. I derive absolutely no pleasure at all from drinking because of this genetic aberration, and so I generally don't touch the stuff.
While the disadvantages of this affliction are many, there are several advantages that make this condition better than it would otherwise be. First, I am always sober. Now, many people will tell you that being the only sober person at a party full of drunks is boring. Not so! In fact, it is the most entertaining thing in the world. You would be surprised to hear what your drunk colleagues will tell you when they are oblivious to the dangers of their loose lips... muahahahaha. In all seriousness though, drink responsibly because there will always be sober Asians with AFS (Asian Flush Syndrome) who will remember your follies for posterity.
The second advantage of having AFS is being able to take the moral high ground re: the evils of alcohol. However, I must admit that this advantage is essentially nullified be the social stigma attached to holding a Perrier in a room of Stellas, Keats, and Sleemans. It's difficult to mingle when everyone in the room thinks you're a recovering alcoholic and covers their bottles in your presence so as to reduce the temptation (you poor, brave man... which step are you on now?... another Perrier for you?). Next time I work the crowd with my Perrier, I'll lick my lips every time I see someone with their beer and say something like, "... must be good to drink a nice cool beer like that on a hot day like this... mmmmmmmm... can I lick your bottle when you're done?"
I wish there are more advantages, but I honestly can't think of another one. AFS is a serious affliction that makes life for 50% of Asians in North America more difficult than it has to be. Thankfully, there is ongoing (albeit non-government-approved) research into finding a cure for AFS. I spoke with a Korean pharmacy student over the summer and he told me that in Korean circles, there is currently ongoing (again, this is not approved by the government and even the Mexican FDA is skeptical) trials of using antacids like Pepcid-AC to combat the effects of AFS. Initial results seem to indicate that taking two tablets before drinking significantly (statistical correlations are so not unavailable since there were only 2 Korean subjects in these trials) reduced facial flushing. I am going to adopt a wait-and-see approach to this recent discovery because I don't think it's wise to pop pills before drinking alcohol.
On a more serious note, this is stolen from my brother:
I was poking around a bit deeper on the mess some call genocide that's going on in the western region of Sudan (Darfur).
Something from Human Rights Watch. Go ahead and read through the rest of the section on Darfur and try not to be outraged at what's going on there.
I'd just leave the article as a link, but this is important enough to leave up as is.
Human Rights Day Statement
A message from Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth
(New York, December 10, 2004) - As we commemorate Human Rights Day, we are challenged by how little the world has done to save the people of Darfur, in western Sudan, from the year's greatest human rights disaster. With the Sudanese government and its ethnic militia well along in their campaign of murder, rape, pillage, and forced displacement, and after several Security Council resolutions on the Darfur crisis, the governments of the world can no longer claim not to know. Now that tens of thousands of civilians have died and some 1.6 million have been forced from their homes, Darfur is clearly on the international agenda. But that has provided little solace for the victims in Darfur. There has been much international hand-wringing, many expressions of outrage, but far too little meaningful response. The international community has moved from ignorance to concern to feigned action - but not more. Coming a decade after the Rwandan genocide, this meager response mocks our vows of "never again."
The vitality of the global defense of human rights is at stake. In the face of Khartoum’s crimes against humanity - atrocities that some have described as genocide - it is not enough to condemn the atrocities, feed the victims, and send a handful of poorly equipped African Union forces merely to observe the slaughter and consolidation of ethnic cleansing. No serious pressure has been put on the Sudanese government to halt its murderous campaign. No meaningful international force has been deployed to protect civilians. None of those directing the slaughter have been prosecuted. No government has lived up to its responsibility to protect the people of Darfur from large-scale slaughter.
We know what must be done to end the atrocities in Darfur and create conditions so the displaced can return home safely. The 3,500 African Union forces authorized for Darfur - a pittance for an area the size of France with few roads or infrastructure - must be bolstered significantly. Their mandate must be expanded to encompass civilian protection. Despite their preoccupations elsewhere, major governmental powers outside of Africa have a duty to protect and assist as well.
We also must ensure that those directing the atrocities in Darfur are brought to justice. The commission of inquiry established by the U.N. Security Council is likely to recommend in January that the council refer the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court. Will China see past its oil contracts to allow the referral to go forward? Will Russia let its arms sales to Khartoum get in the way? Will the United States overcome its antipathy for the court to allow prosecution of crimes it calls genocide? Or, as the people of Darfur suffer and die, will Washington insist on wasting time setting up a separate tribunal? The Security Council's many professions of concern will ring hollow if its answer to the desperate pleas from Darfur is, through delay or inaction, to let impunity reign.
Today, December 10, also marks the resumption of peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria between the Sudanese government and two Darfurian rebel groups. An end to the fighting would undoubtedly help the people of Darfur, but the atrocities are not simply the product of war. Rather, they result from Khartoum's decision to fight an insurgency by deliberately attacking hundreds of thousands of civilians who happen to share ethnicity with some of the rebels.
As we hope for peace and a political solution to the crisis, we must not lose sight of the atrocities that are the paramount cause of today's suffering in Darfur. The peace process addressing the twenty-one year war in another part of Sudan, the south, made the grievous error of ignoring similar atrocities committed there. That impunity emboldened Khartoum to resume its atrocities in Darfur when this new insurgency arose. That error must not be repeated. On Human Rights Day, we must remember that the tragedy of Darfur is foremost a human rights crisis. It will not end until the international community commits the military and prosecutorial resources to protect the people of Darfur from Khartoum's depredations.
[END OF ARTICLE]
Jon knows that most people's idea of "international news" is the tsunami roll, er, waves that devastated South / Southeast Asia and even hit a few countries in Africa as well. And while it's our duty to be concerned with what's going on in those affected areas and to be responsible human citizens in donating funds to credible charities, praying for victims and relief workers, etc., he feels that it's also vitally necessary to be informed about the worst humanitarian crisis currently in the world. Can any of you even positively identify Sudan on a world map? (hint: it's not in Europe). He's ashamed to say that he couldn't do that until sometime in the fall semester after having read a fair number of articles about Sudan (which happens to be directly north of Uganda, where there's also some pretty nasty battles going on in there. Uganda is north of Rwanda, and we all know what happened there in 1994).
Speaking for myself, I agree with him completely. I'm not up on all the world news myself, even though I should be. So please read this, if only to become more informed.
 | You scored as Curt Schilling. You are Curt Schilling. Even if your ankle is busted up, you'll still pitch a beauty!
Which Red Sox / Yankee Player are YOU? created with QuizFarm.com |
Have caught up on all blogs now... thank goodness my brother and sister took a holiday break from blogging. (my sister's blog is about the really personal faith stuff, let's just say)
This information is stolen from Dave's blog:
This is why I don't drink: I lack some sort of dehydrogenase protein and drinking even small amounts of alcohol causes my face to flush red and my head to feel like it's going to explode. I derive absolutely no pleasure at all from drinking because of this genetic aberration, and so I generally don't touch the stuff.
While the disadvantages of this affliction are many, there are several advantages that make this condition better than it would otherwise be. First, I am always sober. Now, many people will tell you that being the only sober person at a party full of drunks is boring. Not so! In fact, it is the most entertaining thing in the world. You would be surprised to hear what your drunk colleagues will tell you when they are oblivious to the dangers of their loose lips... muahahahaha. In all seriousness though, drink responsibly because there will always be sober Asians with AFS (Asian Flush Syndrome) who will remember your follies for posterity.
The second advantage of having AFS is being able to take the moral high ground re: the evils of alcohol. However, I must admit that this advantage is essentially nullified be the social stigma attached to holding a Perrier in a room of Stellas, Keats, and Sleemans. It's difficult to mingle when everyone in the room thinks you're a recovering alcoholic and covers their bottles in your presence so as to reduce the temptation (you poor, brave man... which step are you on now?... another Perrier for you?). Next time I work the crowd with my Perrier, I'll lick my lips every time I see someone with their beer and say something like, "... must be good to drink a nice cool beer like that on a hot day like this... mmmmmmmm... can I lick your bottle when you're done?"
I wish there are more advantages, but I honestly can't think of another one. AFS is a serious affliction that makes life for 50% of Asians in North America more difficult than it has to be. Thankfully, there is ongoing (albeit non-government-approved) research into finding a cure for AFS. I spoke with a Korean pharmacy student over the summer and he told me that in Korean circles, there is currently ongoing (again, this is not approved by the government and even the Mexican FDA is skeptical) trials of using antacids like Pepcid-AC to combat the effects of AFS. Initial results seem to indicate that taking two tablets before drinking significantly (statistical correlations are so not unavailable since there were only 2 Korean subjects in these trials) reduced facial flushing. I am going to adopt a wait-and-see approach to this recent discovery because I don't think it's wise to pop pills before drinking alcohol.
On a more serious note, this is stolen from my brother:
I was poking around a bit deeper on the mess some call genocide that's going on in the western region of Sudan (Darfur).
Something from Human Rights Watch. Go ahead and read through the rest of the section on Darfur and try not to be outraged at what's going on there.
I'd just leave the article as a link, but this is important enough to leave up as is.
Human Rights Day Statement
A message from Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth
(New York, December 10, 2004) - As we commemorate Human Rights Day, we are challenged by how little the world has done to save the people of Darfur, in western Sudan, from the year's greatest human rights disaster. With the Sudanese government and its ethnic militia well along in their campaign of murder, rape, pillage, and forced displacement, and after several Security Council resolutions on the Darfur crisis, the governments of the world can no longer claim not to know. Now that tens of thousands of civilians have died and some 1.6 million have been forced from their homes, Darfur is clearly on the international agenda. But that has provided little solace for the victims in Darfur. There has been much international hand-wringing, many expressions of outrage, but far too little meaningful response. The international community has moved from ignorance to concern to feigned action - but not more. Coming a decade after the Rwandan genocide, this meager response mocks our vows of "never again."
The vitality of the global defense of human rights is at stake. In the face of Khartoum’s crimes against humanity - atrocities that some have described as genocide - it is not enough to condemn the atrocities, feed the victims, and send a handful of poorly equipped African Union forces merely to observe the slaughter and consolidation of ethnic cleansing. No serious pressure has been put on the Sudanese government to halt its murderous campaign. No meaningful international force has been deployed to protect civilians. None of those directing the slaughter have been prosecuted. No government has lived up to its responsibility to protect the people of Darfur from large-scale slaughter.
We know what must be done to end the atrocities in Darfur and create conditions so the displaced can return home safely. The 3,500 African Union forces authorized for Darfur - a pittance for an area the size of France with few roads or infrastructure - must be bolstered significantly. Their mandate must be expanded to encompass civilian protection. Despite their preoccupations elsewhere, major governmental powers outside of Africa have a duty to protect and assist as well.
We also must ensure that those directing the atrocities in Darfur are brought to justice. The commission of inquiry established by the U.N. Security Council is likely to recommend in January that the council refer the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court. Will China see past its oil contracts to allow the referral to go forward? Will Russia let its arms sales to Khartoum get in the way? Will the United States overcome its antipathy for the court to allow prosecution of crimes it calls genocide? Or, as the people of Darfur suffer and die, will Washington insist on wasting time setting up a separate tribunal? The Security Council's many professions of concern will ring hollow if its answer to the desperate pleas from Darfur is, through delay or inaction, to let impunity reign.
Today, December 10, also marks the resumption of peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria between the Sudanese government and two Darfurian rebel groups. An end to the fighting would undoubtedly help the people of Darfur, but the atrocities are not simply the product of war. Rather, they result from Khartoum's decision to fight an insurgency by deliberately attacking hundreds of thousands of civilians who happen to share ethnicity with some of the rebels.
As we hope for peace and a political solution to the crisis, we must not lose sight of the atrocities that are the paramount cause of today's suffering in Darfur. The peace process addressing the twenty-one year war in another part of Sudan, the south, made the grievous error of ignoring similar atrocities committed there. That impunity emboldened Khartoum to resume its atrocities in Darfur when this new insurgency arose. That error must not be repeated. On Human Rights Day, we must remember that the tragedy of Darfur is foremost a human rights crisis. It will not end until the international community commits the military and prosecutorial resources to protect the people of Darfur from Khartoum's depredations.
[END OF ARTICLE]
Jon knows that most people's idea of "international news" is the tsunami roll, er, waves that devastated South / Southeast Asia and even hit a few countries in Africa as well. And while it's our duty to be concerned with what's going on in those affected areas and to be responsible human citizens in donating funds to credible charities, praying for victims and relief workers, etc., he feels that it's also vitally necessary to be informed about the worst humanitarian crisis currently in the world. Can any of you even positively identify Sudan on a world map? (hint: it's not in Europe). He's ashamed to say that he couldn't do that until sometime in the fall semester after having read a fair number of articles about Sudan (which happens to be directly north of Uganda, where there's also some pretty nasty battles going on in there. Uganda is north of Rwanda, and we all know what happened there in 1994).
Speaking for myself, I agree with him completely. I'm not up on all the world news myself, even though I should be. So please read this, if only to become more informed.
Labels: 1994, 2004, alcoholic drinks, alex, annoyances, comments, david, derek, drugs, holidays, johnny, lj, maxed-out tags limit, murder, news, ocdl, quiz farm, sports, stella, words
posted by Flami at 5:23:00 PM
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